[asterisk-users] OT - DECT handset with Line key

[Gordon Henderson]

On Tue, 18 Aug 2009, Olivier wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I need to replace digital handsets in offices where there cabling is
> appareantly not Ethernet-compliant.
> Today's usage is to press a key to toggle between private ou public line
> before issuing an outgoing call.
>
> Are you aware of a DECT handset (to overcome cabling limitations) that mimic
> this line-key behaviour ?
> For instance, acceptable behaviours would be to dial number string and press
> Green key to send a call using private line or Blue key to send it using
> public line.
>
> Alternative is to prepend dial string with a specific code for private calls
> (for example, *3100123456789 meaning call 00123456789 using private line).

A lot will depends on how many handsets you need - there is a limit with 
DECT, but there are some non-consumer solutions (ie. stupidly expensive) 
that have up to 120 (IIRC) handsets..

The solution for differing line use is trivial with asterisk - ie. stop 
thinking about what the phone can do and start thinking about what 
asterisk can do.

You just ask the users to prefix with a code (as above, *31) to make a 
private call, then get asterisk to sort it out in the dialplan. This 
messes up the handsets own phone book though.

However if you want to do it using the phone functions, I can recomend the 
Siemens gigaset range - their base units can have 6 handsets and several 
(up to 6 I think) SIP accounts. You select which SIP account by dialling a 
postfix to the number, so #1, #2, ... #6 to select each account. (With #1 
being the default, so dialling the private number becomes 00123456789#2) 
The down-side is that only 2 handsets per base can make concurrent calls. 
(The bases also have an analogue port, but you probably won't use this - I 
never do)

The Snom range can do this too, but it's a stupidly long-winded sequence 
to switch accounts. There's a YouTube video of it somewhere.

Gordon